Birthday Wishes
by Warfang
Summary: Yama is turning 21, and as the Crown Prince, he is now eligible for marriage. But behind the scenes, sinister forces are at work. Will Yama find freedom, or will he perish before ever leaving the solar system? ((Credit to Cinerari for beta'ing))


Fancy masquerades are my actual favorite things so please write Harlock/Yama for 34 meeting at a masquerade ball au

I do not own anything in regards of official copyright to Leijiverse, Captain Harlock, or affiliates. This is made for my own fun, with my own time, and no money is being made off of this. Seriously, if you paid for my story, you got ripped off. Also, I made this story as a request for a friend.

BIRTHDAY WISHES

Yama's eyes swept over the ball room, dozens of humans gathered in the room. His brother had thrown the ball together to commemorate Crown Prince Yama turning twenty-one, but Yama suspected it was to actually show off the grounds, where dozens more gardens spread across the lawn.

Honestly, Mars wasn't that stingy over land. He had hand cultivated the region himself, directing the irrigation and supervising the installation personally. The opening grounds where a result from a dream he had when he turned fifteen, of creating Earth on Mars.

Humans were currently trampling through his years of work, all to curry favor with the Praefectus of Gaia's Legion, and perhaps have a chance of marrying into the Imperial Father's family.

Yama scowled some more out of the second story, not quite cut off from the party, but certainly distancing himself. How Ezra expected him to put up with this for three nights he had no idea. The party had hardly started and he was already gnashing his teeth. The entire first floor had been opened for the celebration, with the grounds serving as a place to gawk and gossip.

The quiet whir of the wheelchair relaxing into a seated position alerted him to his brother's presence, pulling him to stiffen his back.

"I swear, I invited a select few, and the rest just showed up. I can't very well throw them out." Ezra growled from beside him.

"I wish you could. I can't believe they all thought it was masquerade themed too. Nami about had a fit finding a mask for me on that short a notice." Yama tapped the white themed mask on his face.

"Hm." His brother commented.

"Okay, will you stop? I'm not sleeping with your wife; it's all in your head." Yama snapped, his voice low.

"Well, she is certainly fond of you." Ezra replied coolly neutral.

"She's also fond of puppies, doesn't mean she's going behind your back to get one." Yama shot back, his short temper flaring.

"Look, just…what got this notion into your head to begin with? That she can relate better to me than you can as my flesh and blood? That we have similar sense of humor? That we both love gardening? It doesn't change the fact that she chose you, and even I can't make that different." Yama bemoaned.

"I mean, I'd be much more upset of Nami was a guy and picked you-whoops." Yama placed a hand over his mouth. "You didn't hear that." He told Ezra, who had turned calculating eyes to his younger brother.

"You didn't hear that." Yama insisted.

Ezra's lip twitched.

"Shut up!" Yama hissed.

"Oh, I think you should go mingle with crowd. They might offer up their sons in hope of an engagement if they only knew." Ezra remarked airily.

"I will tell uncle about this." Yama threatened.

"Please do. He might know someone who you could tolerate to have away for months at a time, and be very 'jump to it' when it comes to making you happy." Ezra remarked.

"I hate that look in your eyes. You are not superior to me." Yama grumbled, moving away from the railing.

"True, which is why you've been up here sneering at everyone who's even tried to make off with one of your flowers? I didn't have to post guards to stop them, you know." Ezra waved an arm around. "All of this, everything, is yours. All of your work, all of your notes, all of the distant plantations that feed Gaia or were bartered away to pay for Gaia's debts, are yours. You should be proud of this. I know of no other human who could make this possible." Ezra paused.

"I'm scared that you'll become a target." He voiced quietly.

Yama refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Like being your baby brother hasn't already put a target on my back, mostly with harpy mothers who have eligible daughters." He ribbed back. "But really, Ezra. I did my tour of duty, there's nothing that I have to physically leave Mars for, and anyone crazy enough to attack Mars wouldn't be coming just for little ol' me."

Yama headed off towards the stairs in the back. "I'll be fine, Ezra. You think about running the whole Gaia Legion, I'll focus on feeding them." He called back.

Ezra frowned at the dozens of bodies strung about the floor, masks plastered over their faces. "I do believe he would be mad enough to try, the bastard."

Standing, Ezra headed towards the hallway around the second floor. He had a phone call to make to mobilize the Legion into standby. He just could not shake the feeling that something would happen during the gala.

Downstairs, Yama smiled over clenched teeth as more women cooed over the lawns and how hard working he must be, and didn't he work such long hours.

Yama loved women. He really did. But he did not care how certain emphasis was laid on words and the way eyes raked over and under his brown suit with gold thread outlaying sunflowers in the theme.

He loved women who were strong, who fought, who held fire and compassion and could knock you out, but he really, really wanted someone to save him from wandering hands of these females right now.

Thankfully, Nami appeared off to the side.

"Dinner will be served momentarily. If our esteemed guests would please head to the dining hall and take their seats." Her clear voice carried through the room.

"Yama, a word?" She beckoned as the room emptied.

Yama paid his respects to the matronly women and headed over to Nami, careful to stand just outside of close to her.

"Ezra's mobilizing the force around Mars. He just can't seem to calm down." Nami confided.

Yama sighed.

"And he's drastically improved after your slip up. Really, why didn't you tell him that sooner?" She teased.

"I didn't because he was always so demanding and controlling of me when we were younger. I didn't want him trying to control that too." Yama muttered.

Nami's soft laugh followed them to the dining area, where Ezra sat at the high table.

"He sent you to tell everyone to come eat, didn't he?" Yama queried lowly.

"Yes. He decided you didn't need to suffer for long after his phone call. There's going to be dancing after this, do try to have a few partners." Nami replied.

Yama sighed. Nami giggled as they separated and sat on either side of Ezra, who began the feast by praising Gaia Sanction, toasting Yama's birthday, and thanking their numerous guests for attending.

He opened the feast and sat, servers dancing around with platters and clean plates, wine flowing through the carafes and into glasses.

Several people came before Ezra and talked politely with him over the courses, sometimes extricating promises from Yama to dance with their daughters after dinner.

Ezra smirked louder each time Yama agreed.

Yama decided after the fourth promise that kicking his injured older brother was juvenile, and that they were above such things. Besides, the wheelchair meant he didn't have a clear shot.

Ezra made a few digs at how Yama would have been a better soldier if he had just stayed in the Gaia Legion, they hadn't seen such high marksman skills in the pistol or the turrets in ages, while Yama shot back how dry and uniformed the Gaia Legion was, and Yama didn't want to be a soldier in the first place.

"Hello sir, and welcome to our table." Nami cut in, signaling another guest approached.

The man was dressed in dark leathers, twisted and grotesque with red highlights throughout. It was a certainly interesting design, and Yama had never seen the like of it before. The material bunched and swirled about, a short cape cutting off around the man's calves leading to an aura of cloaked indifference.

"Captain Zero sends his regards, his regrets at not being able to attend the first night, and his introduction of his long time friend." The man bowed, long chocolate locks falling in front of the mask that also matched the costume, a blank black space across his left eye with a twisting red half loop that sprouted over his right and folded back into the mask.

Ezra glared at the man pointedly.

"That is, captain of a small merchant vessel, Captain Franklin." The man smiled as he rose up, and Yama realized with a jolt the man was rather tall, as in, he could easily stand almost eye to eye with Ezra, who had a few more inches from the wheelchair when standing.

He certainly would tower over Yama. "Captain Warrius told me some of these flowers were from Earth, or that his nephew worked with flowers from Earth, he was rather deep in his cups at the time." The man laughed it off, as though going out and getting drunk with members of the Gaia Legion was an everyday occurrence for merchants.

"It's working with them. Something from the Hundred Years War changed them, some sort of blast or fallout." Yama eagerly volunteered. "But it's okay! The robots I sent were only designed to examine a small part of Mother Earth, I'm sure the rest of her is undamaged." Yama smiled at the man. He was so…dreamy.

Ezra shifted in his seat, before clearing his throat. "I'll be sure to mention your safe arrival to our Uncle Zero the next time I see him." His crisp tone indicated that he doubted his uncle actually cavorted about with such a man, but he couldn't cause a scene with so many people and so few soldiers.

"Of course! He's been telling me how proud he is of little Ezra Kurosaki, and his brother, Yama Kurosaki." The man grinned, lips stretching over white teeth in a flash.

"Of course, he also told me you were an absolute guard dog when it came to your younger siblings well being."

Yama felt knocked off a bit. Was the man threatening Ezra? Was he insane? No one threatened Ezra without swift repercussions, and the last person to make an unsavory remark about Yama had vanished.

Ezra icily regarded the man, his purple cloaked breast rising rhythmically.

"Perhaps you are as you say, and not Captain Harlock." Ezra spat back.

The man didn't flinch. "Perhaps. Shall I remove my mask and remove all doubt?" He stated back.

Ezra glared at him, before jerking his head once up and down.

The mask came off, and yes, Captain Franklin had scars- but also two eyes. Two warm brown eyes, that laughed at Ezra for presuming the dreaded pirate captain would just waltz into the masquerade and sweep up to the center of attention because he would do anything he wanted. Captain Harlock, according to his wanted poster, had lost his left eye a long time ago.

Yama released a breath. Captain Harlock…all he knew about the man from rumors was that he was dangerous, perhaps deranged, and possibly plotting to end the human race and destroy Mother Earth. That he piloted a Death Shadow Class Battleship, an old thing that shook the ground with its passing. Plus, while modifying human skin had made leaps and bounds, the two slight scars on his chin and left cheek were not the jagged, ugly behemoth he had heard decimating and dominating the whole right cheek of Captain Harlock's face.

"My apologies." Ezra gritted out. "Your appearance was rather startling."

"I tend to get that for being tall." The man rejoined warmly, donning his mask again. "Yama, if I may ask your accompaniment to the gardens later? I noticed there was a lack of pathways earlier." The man warmly effused to him.

"That's because people aren't supposed to walking in that number all over it." Yama sulked, before catching himself. "But if you want to see them, I can take you around after the dancing gets boring." He brightened up.

The man smiled again, before exiting with another bow to Ezra.

Nami placed her hand over Ezra's on his wheelchair. "We have guards, and you mobilized the Gaia Fleet. If that is Captain Harlock in disguise, he won't be running away unscathed." She placated her husband.

Ezra glared at the man's back, certain that the man was laughing at them.

Yama missed what Nami said, already sighing over the broad shoulders Captain Franklin possessed.  
"If you're worried he isn't real, you can run a check on a Captain Franklin of the merchant vocation, or Nami could." Yama sighed off handedly. "Me, I think he's just dreamy."

Ezra rolled his eyes and turned back to his fish.

Later, after the dessert was cleared away, the couples emerged back into the main hall where musicians had set up. Yama barely had time to remind Ezra to send him an early breakfast to his room, before being dragged off by eager daughters looking to sink their claws- to dance with him.

Yama was quite aware that most women wouldn't look twice at a man who said he spent all day growing flowers, but the ladies were nice, and polite, and charming and vapid.

He tried engaging them in how humanity was slowly dying out, how a steady birth rate was needed for the human race to live, and they just skipped or changed the subject.

He tried talking about how the Gaia Coalition wasn't the only human government out there, about the trading planets outside the system, and they either straight out called him a liar, or had never heard of such a thing, or said how Gaia was the best, always and forever.

He found himself being cut off and over talked more often than not, as the girls gushed about how he was a soldier, and his lineage was impressive, and surely he'd love to step outside with them?

Yama firmly turned each of them down, shaking them off after each dance by begging off for another partner he was promised to. The girls pouted, and went to tell their mothers of how impossible the Crown Prince was being.

Yama shuddered about his upcoming marriage decisions by the time he would be twenty-five. He did not look forward to facing them a second time.

"I see that you are quite popular." A warm voice trickled past his ear.

Yama turned, a smile tugging at his lips. "Captain Franklin. I'd trade that popularity for common knowledge about trade posts and planets existing outside the Gaia Coalition right about now. No one seems able to hold a decent conversation tonight."

"I've been to several of those planets." Captain Franklin teased with a glass of bubbly wine in his hand. "Perhaps I could entertain you?"

"Yes, please." Yama gasped out, before barraging the merchant captain with a slew of questions about life outside of Mars, if he knew anything of the planetoid farms that Yama had designed, how was the human population fairing, if there were any other facilities that could work on plant life, and if anyone had other records about the Homecoming War. Even if rapidly firing questions was rude, this captain was friends with his uncle. He wasn't about to stand too much on ceremony.

Captain Franklin looked faintly stunned, lowering his glass a bit before bringing it up and draining it.

"Well. Just like your uncle said, you certainly aren't passive in your passions."

Yama opened his mouth to start questioning about how his uncle was doing, but Captain Franklin touched his shoulder and motioned they head outside.

"Your fan club is heading this way." He smirked.

"Oh no." Yama bemoaned.

Captain Franklin maneuvered them both out of the way, finding an alcove mostly covered by the drawn window curtains and sinking onto the seat hidden behind it.

Yama settled next to him, tucking his knees together in the cozy space, and turning to Captain Franklin. Captain Franklin answered his multitude of questions from before.

Yes, there was life outside of Mars, but none quite with gleaming spires that stretched up to the sky. The planetoid farms Yama had made were worked by rotation schedules, giving people work and food. There were few facilities left, and one or two were studying the farms and sustainable indexes. No, he did not know of any records concerning the Homecoming War outside of the Gaia Legion.

"Your mask, what inspired it?" Captain Franklin asked, gesturing to the head piece.

Yama laughed.

"Well, I had a decidedly going spring theme with the brown suit and the green accents and the gold thread with the sunflowers, so I decided why not have a flower on my face too? Except we didn't pick the masquerade theme, a guest did and then it just caught on." Yama sighed.

"This particular flower is one my mother loved, and surprisingly, it's also the kind that survived on earth. Since it is white, it really pops against my hair, like a flower sprouting out of dark earth, bringing hope and renewal." Yama grinned. "It actually rather mirrors your mask a little, since it's coming out on the left side." Yama chuckled at the coincidence.

"Well, since you humored my question, I must say…your work has brought humanity to a fighting chance again."

"You flatter me. It's just something that I do." Yama shrugged off the praise.

"No." Captain Franklin's firm assertion paused Yama's self-deprecation. "Your discovery about Earth having a battle scar brought a lot of humans out of despair. Seeing that life continued on Earth, was renewed on Earth, brought redemption to some who thought humanity was ending."

Yama smiled shakily. "The way you say 'Earth' instead of 'Mother Earth' is just a bit off for me. I forget you're from the far reaches of space when you're sitting this close to me."

"My apologies. It freaks your uncle out too, but it is habit for me." Captain Franklin's voice was injected with a glow of memories from teasing his friend, and Yama relaxed a bit more.

"Tell me more." Yama requested, leaning closer to the captain.

"There are whole planets with stable populations, or with a great difference between the number of men and women, but humanity has adapted to this in the past, and will continue to do so. Your planetoid farms are amazing; I didn't know you read Tochiro Oyama until I was introduced to your first self-sustained planetoid. You included his notes on each station so anyone could restart them should something go wrong?"

"Yes. I think the guy was my great-grandfather or something by his sister's marriage, but I've never found anything to prove that. But the notes were there in the Gaia Legion database, a bit corrupted and rather unfinished, but I finished them and from there, it was just years of hard work. I had started this whole estate when I was fifteen, came back when I was eighteen from my tour with his notes, and this place just grew in the last three years."

Yama smiled. "It's taken both of us to get this ball rolling, but I don't doubt he must have been something when he was alive."

Captain Franklin smiled at him.

"Perhaps we could take that walk now? I'd love to answer more questions you have if you'll answer mine about the flowers."

"Of course." Yama peeled himself away from the captain, aware now of how close he had become with the older man, and started towards the outside.

Captain Franklin was delightful to talk with, gallantly offering his arm for Yama to drag him about the garden in high spirits, talking with him about where he got each plant from and who he owed a favor for help.

Mostly Captain Franklin soothed his ire when he spotted where plants had been broken, or where flowers had been snapped off their stems.

"This is just upsetting." Yama groused near the inner sanctum of the garden. "How can they even maneuver back here to pilfer the flowers?"

Captain Franklin was frowning as well.

"The boots are wrong." He commented.

"What?"

"The boots are wrong. These aren't the imprints that a lady's heel would leave, and none of the gentlemen would wear boots with treads on them."

"But…Gaia Legion has boots with treads, but that's the armored version." Yama replied, "What were they doing in my garden? I already sent the flowers to the Imperial Father, he approved of my work. Why would they need to take flowers from my garden?"

Yama let go of Captain Franklin, moving to the side. "This makes no sense." He bent down, brushing his fingers through a decimated flower bed.

"Perhaps they didn't have orders to do it." Captain Franklin suggested. "Under uniform, they could easily mask themselves and take it…for any reasons, whether they were Gaia Legion or not."

"Ugh. There's nothing to do to apprehend them now. But Uncle Zero is supposed to arrive tomorrow. I'll ask him to inspect this before the party starts up again. Why? Why three parties, that means I have to wear three outfits." Yama whined.

Captain Franklin laughed. "I thought you would like to dress up in different outfits."

"No. Tomorrow night's the military portion, which means the stiffest, greenest, and rather undecorated Gaia Legion outfit for me. That fabric can't breathe and I'm expected to both wear it and be there until the military families' leave, which means no sneaking off like tonight. Ugh." Yama turned.

"You could attend. Uncle already invited you, so if you showed up, they couldn't actually throw you out. We're just letting everyone else think that so we aren't overcrowded, as most of the military dignitaries didn't attend tonight." Yama explained.

"What happens on the third night?"

"My brother vaguely congratulates whoever it is that's caught my attention on the upcoming wedding arrangement." Yama huffed. "I don't want to get married. I want to stay single and keep working in my garden every day, watching the sun set as I sip a nice cool drink after working for hours." Yama stretched.

"But. I'm not going to get to do that unless I manage to reject every eligible woman out there, or run away. But the second one is not really an option."

"Why not?" Captain Franklin softly asked.

"Because my brother is the Praefectus. I go anywhere, I'm leverage against him. The explosion in the green house, I ran to turn the power up, but Ezra just about swore at me, so I ran back to explain this could work, and." Yama's eyes lifted to stare at the starry sky above his head. "The roof exploded. Everything was on fire, there was glass everywhere. A light fell on Nami, it crushed her. Ezra lost his legs, and I…I was hardly scratched. The emergency response was there in minutes, but I only managed to dig Ezra out. I couldn't move him; he couldn't move himself, and…Nami…" Yama choked up.

"I almost lost her. To people who wanted Ezra removed from becoming Cardinal in a few years, who would have blamed me and who still think Ezra and I fight because he blames me."

Arms came around Yama, who turned and buried his face into Captain Franklin's chest.

"I know what it's like to lose a love one, but for me, it was so long ago, it no longer hurts. It's a distant fondness in my heart." Captain Franklin soothed him.

"I just…I just want to atone, and at the same time, I want out of here, I want freedom." Yama choked out. Captain Franklin stroked his hair until he calmed down, sniffles into the worked leather muffled.

"Oh, Gaia, I look like I've been crying." Yama choked, waving a hand at his puffy eyes.

"And it looks like the party is in full swing still." Captain Franklin noted, glancing back at the glowing windows. Shadows whirled past, throwing a shifting dance out onto the lawn.

Yama hiccupped.

"C'mon, I hid a spring around here. I can press a cold cloth to my face until I stop being red."

Captain Franklin hummed and followed him, eyes sweeping the garden.

"I imagine the party notwithstanding; this is quite the beautiful place." He commented.

"Heh. Some people think so. Me, I see potential." Yama confided.

Captain Franklin attended him back to the party and returned him to throng of young females while being mocked glared at for stealing the Crown Prince away.

Yama watched wistfully as the man departed from his side, before being swept up in another round of dances and idle chatter.

It would be easy to rebuff all of the women in the room, single or otherwise.

The evening ended, and Yama retired with a groan, knowing he'd be up in three hours.

/

Yama decided that underneath the sweet disposition lurked a sadistic jerk, as his Uncle Zero had brightly announced "Breakfast in bed!" and launched himself into the room two and a half hours later.

"I have another half hour of sleep, and you're not supposed to even be cleared for landing until midday." Yama groaned into his pillow.

"I know, I know, but someone moved the Gaian Fleet over, so we were actually processed a few hours early. And Marina suggested I bring you breakfast in bed so I can ask you how your date with Captain Franklin went." Uncle Zero grinned.

"Augh!" Yama threw a pillow at his uncle, missing the tray laid out on a nearby table. "No! Go talk to Ezra about that! I'm not sharing!"

"I already heard that you vanished with him for quite some time during the dances last night." His uncle's grin was way too big for five thirty am.

"Speaking off, I need you to check the inner sanctum. Someone wearing tread boots trampled all over the grass." Yama muttered into his remaining pillows.

"What was that?" His uncle asked, spreading butter on toast.

"SOMEONE TRAMPLED OVER MY FLOWERS IN TREAD BOOTS. NOT THE PARTY GOERS!" Yama exaggeratedly repeated himself.

His uncle paused buttering the toast.

"Well, I'll take a look later. You need to be up and eating."

"Why?" Yama grumped.

"You need to, because the tailor is ready to make your next suit from scratch for tonight." Uncle Zero bit into his toast. "I figured you didn't want to do that on an empty stomach."

"Uck." Yama groaned, rolling out of bed. He chugged his milk tea and grabbed a breakfast sandwich, shuffling off to the bathroom.

He paused, turned around, and pointed a finger at his uncle.

"I will put a flower crown on you and watch you drown in admirers tonight for this. Don't think you can get away." He grumped, before slumping into the bathroom.

His uncle just laughed.

But once Yama was in the separate room with the water running, Warrius Zero frowned to himself. "Just what are you getting yourself into, pirate?" He muttered to the toast.

Dragged across the mansion in little more than a shift, Yama was dropped off with the awaiting tailor while Uncle Zero headed out to wake up Ezra.

Yama couldn't wake up fully, his head nodding even with his spine straight and arms out, while the tailor pinned clothes to his body.

"You, sir, have a rather lean figure and while you're not short, you are certainly not compact either, I think a sweeping trail would work. Last night you wore stitching that pulled the eyes along your front and sides, yes?"

"Yeah, gold stitching of sunflowers." Yama slurred as he fought back a yawn. "It was primarily in the front." He added, losing the battle as his mouth gaped. "Excuse me."

"Well, don't move yet. I have an idea, or rather, a vision. You have to wear a military suite, but it also has to show off your accomplishments. I'm thinking a shoulder cloak."

"Yeah, that….wait. Why do I need a tailor if I have my clothes already?" Yama asked.

Ishikura grinned at him around the needles in his mouth. "Because there doesn't exist a 'Masters in Botany' award for working in the army, so hold still. Plus, your old uniform needs to be let out some. Here, go put it on."

"You're a man of many talents." Yama muttered, stepping off the stool and ducking around the folding screen.

"I'm the second officer of the Karyuu. I have to have many talents to help run the crew and lead them. Do you know how many ceremonies we have to go through? I have to dust off and fix, or arrange to fix, the entire crew for presentation in a few months." Ishikura drawled.

"At least you aren't uptight anymore." Yama called back.

"Well, my boyfriend would disagree." Ishikura teased. "Besides, he's ecstatic that he gets to attend the party as part of the bridge crew, and that reminded me to add a little something to your uniform."

Yam huffed. "It's a little tight in the chest."

"Of course it is. But that is why I am here. Let me see."

Yama bit back a retort and stepped around the partition.

"The idiots added shoulder pads. Take it off." Ishikura instructed. The blond male was rather terse with his words from barking orders at his men to jump and follow, but Yama unbuttoned the jacket without further prompting.

Funny what even a half-asleep brain remembered from being in the military.

Ishikura glared at the shoulder pads before seizing a seam ripper and setting to work. Yama felt time slip away before Ishikura ushered him out to have a real breakfast with everyone else and set to work.

Yama crept into the dining hall, sneaking around to the breakfast nook, looking to slink up behind-

"Boo to you too. Eat." Uncle Zero directed him.

Slouching into his seat, Yama glared at him.

"You'll never get the drop or scare on me, Yama."

"Yeah, I already did that when the building fell on my head." Yama shot back. "Your Second Officer is making me a shoulder cape. That's going to go over well."

"Well, you couldn't wear an academic stole, but we're planning to be subtle about your colors and point out that your accomplishments in the military didn't stop there. Otherwise, you're going to look very plain next to me and Ezra." Uncle Zero pointed out.

Yama conceded to his point, grabbing the fresh fruit and slicing it neatly. "Pass the syrup, would you uncle?"

"You still eat like you're a kid." Uncle Zero wrinkled his nose but passed the syrup.

"That's because I am have a great metabolism." Yama snipped back. "It comes with not drinking each night, with the likes of Captain Franklin."

"Hey, we hardly ever get together to drink, and when we do, I'm hardly off duty. He caught me, once, and never let it go." Uncle Zero defended himself.

"Uh huh. Do you think he's dreamy?" Yama dove right in.

"Dreamy!" Uncle Zero squeaked. "Uh, he's certainly charming. That is, he has his charms. And he's certainly polite and a gentleman to a fault. I've rarely met a man with a greater will."

"Oh good. Think you can sneak him in tonight?"

Uncle Zero stared at him, both eyebrows climbing into his hairline.

"Did you get any sleep at all last night?"

"Uncle!" Yama yelped.

"But yes, I'll be sure to bring him along with me. Perhaps I can say he's a merchant looking to take orders for what the Gaia Legion could use in their leisure time." Uncle Zero mused.

Yama blushed furiously and viciously stuffed a croissant in his mouth.

"So, what makes Captain Franklin so attractive?" Uncle Zero mused, staring at his youngest nephew.

Yama swallowed the last of his pastry and muttered an excuse about preparing for the third night before fleeing the room.

"Wait! You forgot your fruit!" his uncle called after him.

Yama feigned not hearing him as he darted around the corner. He had to meet with Nami and discuss the evening's course, revise any changes for the decorations tonight, and then, perhaps mercifully, find a break to nap in the mid-afternoon before being kept up all night with the military gala.

"Everything has to be in Gaia's colors, not a shade off. And the Imperial Father will be making an appearance tonight too." Ezra shuffled the time table around. "I want the party wrapping up by two A.M. and I want clean up to be finished by four. How are the gardens doing?"

"Yama is about to have a fit over the broken and missing plants. He's set up a semi-independent shop to help with repotting them, and predictably, everyone who's gone through the doors is somehow related to a party goer from last night." Ishikura reported.

"Marina shoo'd Yama out to get a nap while she helped Nami. Captain Warrius is working on the guards and investigating the grounds. As to more serious matters, who would want you out of the way of Cardinal, and then go on to harass Yama? Any ideas?"

"Blunt and to the point as always. You certainly do make it for Second Officer." Ezra dryly replied.

Ishikura frowned at him.

"That didn't answer my question."

"Then my answer is that I do not know." Ezra replied smoothly. "I do not know who made it through the guards last night. We examined the grounds before opening them, and there are acres out there. The only chance they had started from when we received guests at seven until Yama discovered the prints at midnight. And none of the families attending have the political might alone or together to have threatened Yama so deep inside his own sanctuary."

"And there's the fact you suddenly mobilized the Fleet around eight. That doesn't leave a lot of time for them to work, and more time for chaos to mask their movement." Ishikura noted a memo on his device. "One more question. Did you and Yama see the grounds for yourselves before the gala started?"

Ezra frowned. "No. We were in a pinch to get masks, and it was the hired servants who reported the grounds were neat."

Ishikura hummed.

Ezra scowled.

"Well, let's see what happens with everyone attending the gala tonight."

/

Yama dropped off in a second after his head hit the pillow. The party was in three hours, and there was no way he could stay awake any further. The last fitting had impressed his uncle and brother sufficiently, with Ishikura glowing about how average Yama looked next to the decorated Captain and Commander.

The uniform hanged on the closet door, brushed and starched again, awaiting for Yama to drag his tired body to the party.

A smile graced his face as he remembered….Captain Franklin would be at the party….

/

The party processed in a stately and routine manner, mingling with the guests as they arrived from seven until ten pm, then the address from the Imperial Father in the ballroom, followed by light dancing, more mingling, card tables filling up another three rooms as more members ceased standing in favor of sitting.

The servers swept around the room, offering food to everyone, filling up stomachs and skipping the giant sit down meal.

Yama could only imagine the headache of arranging such a seating chart, by rank and allies. He was swept around, sometimes by old comrades from his tour, other times by their families, sometimes by his Uncle Zero bragging about his work as a scientist and how much his tour of duty helped him relate to how important his work was.

Ezra worked his own circuit, Nami stepping beside him as she entertained the wives of the men Ezra spoke with.

Yama was quite done with being passed around so many medal wearing individuals praising him for his hard, necessary work before a babble of laughter caught his ear.

Captain Franklin was entertaining his own group, First Officer Oki and Second Officer Ishikura among them.

Yama snuck glances at him while moving from each group with his uncle, remembering to smile and echo greetings his uncle initiated, answer questions about his work politely, and suggest what kind of sunscreen to wear to prevent UV rays.

Captain Franklin, somehow, got a drinking song to start among the officers, which caught on.

Yama was faintly impressed, while Captain Warrius groaned.

"How did he even start that? It's only one in the morning. So yes, while the more serious generals have retired, my boss is still here."

Yama glanced about before spotting a stately woman frowning at the carousers, before she down her glass, picked up a white straw, and marched over.

"You all are out of key! From the top now, on my mark!" She barked.

Captain Warrius gawked before Captain Franklin showed up behind him and shoved him towards the singers. "The party's over for the military, ours is just starting!" He crowed. Uncle Zero vanished in the rowdy group of party goers, and Captain Franklin gallantly offered Yama his arm.

"If you would please deign to join me, I do believe it is your party after all." Captain Franklin smiled, his whole face lit up, hair pulled back in a ponytail beginning to come undone.

Yama nodded and gave his arm over, feeling as though he placed more than an appendage in the grasp of Captain Franklin.

Off to the side of the raucous party, Ezra frowned down at his console, reading the information.

"What's the matter?" Nami murmured from his side.

"There is actually a Captain Franklin, member of an outer trade guild and merchant specializing in spices and silks between Gaia and outlying settlements." Ezra frowned at the list. "Not always a steady routine, as he does need to dock between trips for repairs, but nothing unexplained on his records or reports."

Ezra flipped through the report. "And he has a statement of good standing from my dear Uncle. It's dated a few years ago, but still in effect."

Nami smiled. "So what shall we do in response?"

"Tomorrow, everything ends." Ezra replies. He raised himself into a standing position. "I do believe it was time we left our guests to seeing themselves out, my dear."

The two exited from the ballroom, as sailors and soldiers caroused enthusiastically to a song by the baton wielding Gaia Federation Army General.

/

The night ended with the morning sun, Yama groaning into the shoulder of Captain Franklin. "Last night was so much fun."

"Mmmm. I certainly enjoyed myself."

"And here's the guest room I promised." Yama announced. "Tonight was fun. I didn't think we'd run out of transport for people to go home safely." The door opened to Yama's fingerprint, allowing access to a simple room.

"Well, most everyone was able to go home. Everyone staying has promised to serve as extra security tonight." Captain Franklin reminded him.

"Heh. An excellent excuse to have for being too drunk to leave." Yama commented, levering his crush into bed.

"What are you going to be wearing tonight?" Captain Franklin asked, catching his arm as Yama turned to go.

"You'll see, just like everyone else. Thankfully the last party isn't as glamorous, or as widely attended." Yama moved to tug off the captain's boots, before pulling a blanket over the man.

The eyes track him as he leaves to fetch a glass and water pitcher, before returning. Yama smiled, brushing hair out of the way before bringing his hand back.

"I'm glad you were able to attend. I think you being here has made a great improvement in me enjoying this whole shebang."

The man hummed. "I am truly indebted to your uncle for finally introducing me to the nephew he talks about so much. But now, you must get some sleep." The man reproached gently.

"Yes, I must." Yama replied and made to leave. Somehow, the room tilted and he found his head on the pillow besides Captain Franklin, the same blanket now pulled over him.

"Perhaps the long night has worn us both out." Captain Franklin suggested lightly. Then the man stretched, placed his hands under his pillow, and went to sleep.

Yama stayed awake perhaps a moment longer, watching the older male sleep, before drifting off himself, boots and uniform still on.

He remembers vaguely waking up later to Captain Franklin removing his boots for him, his jacket and his cloak, before brushing his cheek with a hand and suggesting he sleep some more.

Yama must have followed the suggestion, for the next time he awoke his uncle was standing in the room, a light food tray in hand.

His stomach rumbled, while other bodily needs became known desperately to him.

"You scared everyone by not sleeping in your room. If Captain Franklin hadn't directed us here, there would be a widespread panic by now." Uncle Zero informed him. "And your not-quite boyfriend left to check on his ship. He'll be back to attend the party tonight."

Yama nodded, throwing back the covers and bee-lining for the bathroom.

His uncle was still in the room as he returned, hanging the uniform jacket on the outside of the door with the boots. Slippers were passed to him, and then the door shut.

"How long until the party?"

"It's two in the afternoon now. You'll have to function on this much sleep; the last party is taking place on the front lawn, not inside the mansion." Uncle Zero replied with a frown.

Yama stretched, and devoured the plate of fruit before him. The tea barely warmed him, and then he slipped into the new footwear, gathered the tray and followed his uncle out the door.

"So, you and He- uh, slept together. You must have been tired."

"Yeah, he was an utter gentleman about it. Put his hands under the pillow and everything." Yama sighed. "And he was so warm."

Captain Warrius hummed a response, a hand coming up to grip his chin as he delved into deep thoughts.

Yama sighed and focused on getting through the next twelve hours, slipping off to the kitchens to return the tray and grab some coffee.

Then, the servers found him and whisked him off to Ishikura for final measurements of his last wardrobe enhancement.

Yama twirled about, marveling at the material.

"And, just what is it again?"

Ishikura beamed. "We turned some of the plants from Earth into cotton. So, you're wearing what your machines found back on Earth. Well, you're wearing some of it. The red really offsets your colors and brings out your highlights."

Yama blushed, and nodded. The three colors he could always count on looking good in were the darker hues of brown, green and red. Except for the garment he wore first night, when white and gold dominated his wardrobe. The material was cut into a layered suit, with wine red trimming. Simple and elegant, Yama twirled again to watch the coat tails spin with him.

The crease in the pants was sharp enough to remind him of the army pants, perhaps a detail that Ishikura pressed in personally. The Second Officer certainly looked pleased enough to have done the whole suit himself.

The undershirt, the vest, the jacket (at least a waistcoat was skipped) and the pants were all but molded on him.

"I hate to say this, but…I don't think any alterations need to be made. You just need to change out of them for now and change back into them later." Ishikura commented.

"Thanks for all of this, Ishikura." Yama thanked him.

"Oh, it was my pleasure. I try to iron out these details and tackle any problems I can so Officer Oki and Captain Warrius can lead the ship. It's very rewarding work." Ishikura beamed.

Yama nodded and left with the servants, passing Ezra on his way in.

"Your turn to get measured for tonight?" He asked.

Ezra blinked, noticing him. "Yes, of course. I'm glad you're done."

"Yeah, going to see if there's anything I can help with in setting up outside."

"Take care, Yama." Ezra called after him.

Yama paused and sent his brother a confused look, before nodding and sending him two thumbs up and leaving for the grounds.

Ezra swallowed, and then entered the work room.

"Do you really think something that holds Dark Matter as a secondary trait will help him?" Ezra asked.

Ishikura frowned. "It held up more than normal cloth, and people would have noticed a bullet proof vest, no matter how I designed it."

"Yes, I know. Are you taking my measurements for the party?" Ezra raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Ishikura stepped back to look at him from where he had moved to pack up.

"I thought so." Ezra smirked and left the room.

Ishikura scratched his head before finishing up to return to the Karyuu. If something did go wrong, he needed to lead the men on the rescue.

/

Captain Franklin laughed as told another story of how Captain Warrius flagged him for cargo inspection. "If I didn't know better, I'd say the guy was 'itching' to get me!" he finished. His outfit consisted of a floor length cape that mostly closed over his body, hiding his clothes underneath.

"Hilarious story, old friend. Just because you weren't the cause of the rash didn't mean we lost the guy who was. That was an embarrassing day." Captain Warrius cut in. "But if I may direct your attention to the arrival of the birthday man shortly, he'll be announced soon. And what happened to your eye?" He asked, gesturing to the cover.

"Ah, I walked into a doorway." Captain Franklin returned, before he warmly smiled and excused himself.

When Yama was announced to finally descend the steps out into the lawn, he had expected for the usual hubbub to flow out around the grounds. What he hadn't expected was for everyone except the small band playing light music to fall silent. Chin level and eyes ahead, he stepped down to the last stair where Captain Franklin gallantly offered him his arm.

Accepting, Yama bowed to his brother first, and their guests second.

Ezra raised a glass.

"Everyone, we are here to celebrate one of Gaia's humbler heroes. His dedicated work for the past six years have shaped this land, grown our economy, and fed the stomachs of our people. We celebrate tonight, his twenty-first birthday, the beginning of his eligibility to wed. We give thanks to the Imperial Father for blessing us with grace, to our guests who attend this joyous occasion, and to my younger brother, for his presence with us. Now, let us eat, drink, and make merry!"

The crowd cheered, and Yama was swept into their midst by Captain Franklin.

Congratulations rained upon him, thanks and praises filled his ear until the evening swirled into a never ending parade of couples and groups for Yama to flit between.

Still, among all of them, Captain Franklin remained firmly at his side. His uncle moved to and from their side, bringing drinks and finger foods, watching Yama elegantly scarf down food as talking kept him from properly sitting down and eating.

"That eye patch gives you an eerie resemblance to Captain Harlock's wanted poster." Yama remarked in a moment alone. "Do you often have to deal with being mistaken for him?"

"No." Captain Franklin responded. "Most people don't mistake me for him."

Then, Captain Franklin pulled him across the dance floor in a whirl of cloak and wine red, helping Yama sneak out during, what Yama suspected, was the midnight bell ringing.

"Have we really socialized the entire time?" Yama commented, rather at a loss from the deafening silence as Captain Franklin moved them across the lawn and behind the mansion. Guards nodded to them, their green uniforms starched and unwrinkled.

Captain Franklin smiled. "I decided you may be done with visiting all of them. Perhaps now we can plunder the kitchen and get you fed for real. Ah, run and tell Captain Warrius I have Yama with me." Captain Franklin tapped a soldier. The man nodded and double timed it back to the party.

Yama laid his head on Franklin's shoulder.

"Mostly, I am quite tired of standing for so long." His accompanier smiled, and led Yama into the mansion, securing them seats in a small alcove.

"But I must profess, I would love to get to know you better myself. And I believe I never answered all of your questions about the outer lying planets."

Yama smiled and launched into the conversation.

/

Back at the party, the soldier came up to Captain Warrius and whispered to him. Nodding, Captain Warrius sent him back to stand guard against interlopers.

Ezra thanked their guests again, encouraged them to keep celebrating an auspicious occasion, and retired from the party. Two guards detached from the stationed group and followed him, as he left the mansion and headed, instead, for the fleet.

Captain Warrius made his way to his First Officer, and they too retired, heading into the mansion.

Shortly thereafter, a guest did not feel well and left the grounds.

Then, the first of the airships fell from the sky; a thunderous crack shook the grounds, and a Gaian ship poured fire upon another, above the sky just north of the mansion.

/

The ground began to shake.

"What in the name of Gaia!" Yama yelped. Captain Franklin grabbed his arm and steadied him. "But Mars has stable tectonics, this isn't a quake!"

"No, that's a battleship, and it's very, very old." Captain Franklin murmured hotly into Yama's ear.

Yama felt his stomach drop out from underneath his ribcage. Captain Franklin's face had changed, the scars on his forehead and cheek had vanished, and one jagged scar had begun to appear on his face. The eye patch was eclipsed by hair falling over his face.

"You….you are Captain Harlock, aren't you? What did you do to my uncle?" He attempted to pull away, but Captain Harlock held fast.

"Your uncle has been disillusioned with the Gaia Coalition for some time. They're attempting genocide of the outer planets and then you come along, with your plants and your message and 'Mother Earth is alright, look how strong she is'. Did you think the ripples you sent out into the galaxy wouldn't come back to you once they hit the edges? Oh, no, Yama." Harlock wound an arm around the stunned younger male.

"You are far too dangerous for Gaia to let live." He breathed.

The soldiers coming around the corner were definitely not the ones Ezra had brought to watch the crowed. Time seemed to slow down as one of the green zipped soldiers under Ezra's command fell to the spray of bullets from the white armor encased Gaia Legion soldier, a resounding shot from the fallen soldier grazing the second enemy to enter the hallway.

The feel of recoil snapped Yama to reality as Captain Harlock fired his own weapon and downed the two soldiers.

"It is time we left." He murmured into Yama's ear. "I can show you whole new worlds if you want. If you don't, I'll take you to your uncle who can protect you more than Ezra can."

"Oh, Gaia. Nami. They would threaten Nami." Yama choked, feeling his lungs deflate. Nami, with her single life cord and her motionless body up in the greenhouse, she couldn't run.

"Your brother can look after his wife. Now," Harlock jerked him and began to drag him off to the windows. "It's time that we were going."

Yama gazed out the window at a skull staring into the mansion, as the panicked guests fled out of the front lawn away from the pirate ship.

"The confusion of Gaian ships firing on each other will provide us cover with our escape. Now, we really must be going."

"But my lab, all my flowers are there." Yama babbled, following Harlock out.

"We'll get more flowers from Earth." Harlock replied, scanning the area before running under the belly of the ship. Yama felt his legs pump in response, following Harlock across the lawn before realizing the pirate had a grip on his wrist.

And he's really strong.

Harlock tossed a look over his shoulder at him.

Was that out loud? Oh, and his side hurt.

"Pain?" Harlock murmured, before pulling Yama the rest of the way to a lowered hangar. "You've been shot. Hang in there. Kei! Shoot any Gaian that follows us. Hercules! Get him to Doctor Zero. I'm flying us out of here."

Yama was passed off to a man and was ushered swiftly down hallways and into a room where a man removed his clothes and got to work on the bullet wound. The man kept talking and telling Yama everything was going to be okay, but Yama saw a pile of sake jugs in the corner, and started laughing.

"I'm being kidnapped by a pirate rescue and treated by a drunk doctor. Best birthday ever." Yama laughed as the bullet in his side was extricated.

"Hey, I'll have you know I have very stable hands for a drunk." The doctor informed him severely.

"Thanks doc." Yama gasped out, sobering up.

The doctor nodded with a decisive acceptance and then Yama found himself lain down with a blanket wrapped around him.

"You take care now. Try not to sleep and I'll tell you when we make it through the solar line."

Yama nodded and stared at the wall.

So, Captain Franklin with the nice smile and the nice muscles was actually Captain Harlock. Of course he was.

Gaia wanted him dead and didn't care who they hurt to get to him. His uncle…Yama decided to face that another day. No wonder his fittings were always with Ishikura and not some actual tailor.

He listened to the thunder outside, feeling vibrations shake the Arcadia, legendary battle ship of an immortal pirate, and brushed a hand over his red clad leg.

This was all he had left of his previous life. There was no going back, to his greenhouse, to his work. Everything would have to start over.

He had embarked on a grand adventure without so much as a 'by your leave' from the powers fighting over him. Standing, Yama tested the bandage, only for the doctor to bustle over and push him down. "The Captain'll be by to see you after we're clear for IN-SKIP. Nothing can keep up with the Arcadia."

Yama allowed himself to lie down. His head spun with the events of the past few minutes. He had gone from being a rather desirable member of the Gaia community to being an outcast, a wanted man, and a fugitive.

And, it looked like he was a few conversations away from becoming a pirate too.

When the engines changed sounds and sustained a susurrus of noise in the background, Yama attempted again to sit up, this time aided by the doctor. The wound was not deep, more of a chanced graze from the soldiers firing at Harlock.

Yama paused.

Since when did calling Harlock become Harlock instead of the formal 'Captain Harlock'? Well, the man had appeared in the doorway, so Yama shoved the question back to examine later.

"Well, Yama you have a choice. Join me and my crew, or join your uncle. Either way ends with your running from Gaia, fighting for your life, and striving to continue your work. I have one, very selfish thing I can offer you that your uncle can't. A chance to get to know me."

Yama gazed back steadily. "How much time do I have to think?"

"A few hours. We're meeting up with whoever survived the ambush and vanishing into the outer planets for a while. The SDF have vowed to stay out of this, but we may persuade them to our aid yet."

"So. This is my reality now. You said we could get flowers from Earth?"

"Well, actually, we already raided your garden earlier. Those are flowers from Earth."

Yama's glare raked over Harlock. "You did what to my garden?"

"I built you a new one aboard the Arcadia. In case you decided to join me. If not, we can transfer the room to the Karyuu."

"I see. I would like to see my new garden before I make my decision."

Captain Harlock smiled and sent for a stretcher and another crewman to help move Yama. They walked through narrow hallways, pass crewmen who didn't point and whisper, but Yama felt their lingering stares.

"Why are they staring?"

"You are something of a legend out here. Bringing hope to a dying species makes you a very recognizable person out here. You've even brought hope to me." Captain Harlock smiled, and Yama wondered what a man without hope would have done to the human race.

He didn't have long to wonder, as the group stopped before a door. Harlock opened the door by whispering to it, answered by a hum.

Yama stared at the room. It was a compromise between his mother's old observatory, and the new one Nami built, with waterfalls and water purifiers lining the room, but a central dirt patch held many of his flowers, divided into quarters to support the variety of flowers.

"I…think I have my decision. I'll be staying aboard the Arcadia." Yama stared at the work station nestled in the corner, sun lamps turned on and dimmed around the desk.

Captain Harlock smiled.

"I had hoped to hear that. I think Warrius will be happy to hear it too. His ship will be just surviving the battle between warring factions, and now would be a bad time for him to hide and repair his ship."

"Yes, I was considering that." Yama admitted.

"Alright, then I have one question for you. What keeps this ship flying?"

"You fly under a flag of freedom. But if you want the technical answer, I think it's the same stuff my suit is made from."

Captain Harlock threw back his head and laughed.

"Yama, you are a delight. But yes, the full ship tour will come after you heal. For now, let's get you back to the med bay. I believe your wound has clotted enough for the doctor to let you sleep."

"That would be great." Yama replied.

He drifted off to sleep once they reached the med bay, wondering what the new adventure he had embarked on would bring him now.

And that Captain Harlock cut a rather dashing figure without the finery of a merchant on his figure. That much leather showed off a great physique.

~fin


End file.
